Bartered
by The-Missing-Paige
Summary: Father has combined two more homunculi, this time to create a deadly weapon that he unleashes upon Central. The State Alchemists (now with Alphonse Elric among their ranks) are called in to stop the homunculus, but Edward has to come to terms with the fact that he can't use his alchemy to fight anymore. Ed begins to fall apart emotionally, and will be saved only by a sacrifice.
1. Chapter 1

**EDIT: Sorry guys, this was deleted for having these little notes (which is not even funny, I swear every story I read has at least one author's note) but as you can see it's back up. Can't stop me mwahaha.  
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**Disclaimer: I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, or any affiliated characters. **

**This is a SEQUEL to my previous work, Sold. If you have not already, please go read that, or else certain parts of this story will be really confusing.  
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**Reviews are love  
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* * *

They all stood before him, every homunculi Father had left. Greed, bound fast to prevent him from running off again. Gluttony, tongue lolling and eyes vacant. Wrath, stiff like the soldier he was, anxious to get back to his job as Fuhrer—or be reassigned. Lust, forever looking after her nails, cleavage carelessly revealed. And Sloth, massive and muscular, mumbling about how coming here was such a drag.

Which ones would he choose? Father pondered this, considering the powers each homunculus possessed. Which would go well together?

Immediately, he discarded Sloth. He had might, sure, but that was all he had, and his general slowness probably wouldn't mesh well with any of the others.

What Father wanted now was chaos in Central, and hopefully a chance to take some of the State Alchemists as prisoners to be used on the Promised Day. For that…Wrath would probably be good. He had unparalleled prowess with his dual swords, and a series of murders would certainly cause the stir Father was after…

But Wrath was also his weakest homunculus, not possessing the ability to regenerate. So, Wrath would need a protective boost: Greed.

Decision made, Father spoke. "Wrath and Greed stay. The rest of you go about your business."

As everyone filed out, Greed began to struggle from his position on the floor. No matter, he could not escape.

Father was alone with his two chosen homunculi. He said nothing; Greed didn't deserve an explanation, and Wrath would not ask for one. Instead he did the simple thing, thrusting his hands inside of them to grab hold of their Stones. Wrath's was harder, having been fused to a human, but of course Father managed.

Now, to combine them.

Just as before, Father released the stones, creating the new homunculus a body with his own life force.

When he opened his eyes, his new creation stood before him. It was completely black, and hairless, like Greed with his shield, but both eyes were wide and staring. The homunculus twitched, darting its eyes back and forth, fiddling with the handles of its swords restlessly.

"How do you feel?"

"Good!" the double-voice shouted. "I want to get _moving_. Do something. Slice someone up."

That was an interesting effect—the homunculus seemed hyperactive, but that might be a good thing.

"Well, I have an assignment for you," Father said. "Go out into Central. Cause as much chaos as you can—kill some people, do whatever you can to attract some State Alchemists. When they arrive, capture as many as you can, but _don't _kill them."

"Got it!" the homunculus smiled hungrily, departing in a flash.

* * *

Edward sat uneasily at the café table, across from his brother. He was trying with everything he had in him to be calm—the whole purpose of going out to eat with Alphonse, notably sans-Roy was to get him more comfortable around Al again—but he couldn't help being a but…twitchy. Even a month after getting his brother back.

"So, Brother…" Al said, a mischievous grin forming on his face. "I know it's probably rude to jump right into the heavy topics, but…you and Roy, huh?"

Ed couldn't help but blush, smiling despite his embarrassment. "Yeah…crazy, huh?"

Alphonse shook his head, sipping a coffee. "Not at all. You always did like him; I'm not really surprised you two got together."

"I wasn't sure you'd remember that…" Edward trailed off, taking a bite of his doughnut to avoid mentioning _why_ Al would have forgotten.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I do! You used to talk about him all the time."

"Oh, come on! I wasn't _that_ bad!"

"Brother," Alphonse smirked, "I can guarantee you were just as bad as any girl fawning over him."

Edward glared at his younger brother. "Don't make me throw this doughnut at you."

"You wouldn't waste such a treat!" Al laughed. Unfortunately it was true; there was no way Ed would give up such deliciousness to toss at his brother. "Anyway," Alphonse continued, "how did that happen? I mean," he added hurriedly, "you don't have to tell me if it's too much involved, you know?"

"No," Edward said slowly, "Roy said we shouldn't dance around…what happened so much. I know I'm all nervous, but I'll get over it. I mean, here I am, eating lunch _alone_ with you. And I'm pretty much okay." Ed took a breath. "Anyway, to answer your question, Roy had been trying to figure out who it was that…sold me—no, don't get all guilty again, I know it wasn't _really_ you—and I wouldn't tell him. He took me up north, 'cause he thought getting away from Central might make me spill. And while we were up there, we had a great time."

"Playing in the snow, you mean," Al teased.

Edward stuck out his tongue. "You're just jealous. But, yeah. And then he asked me afterward if it was you, and I got really upset because I didn't want him to be in danger, and I ended up telling him how I felt…and it turns out he felt the same."

"Brother," Alphonse half-squealed. "That's adorable!"

Ed blushed, and looked away.

"And have you kissed him?"

"T-that's so blunt!" Edward stammered.

"Have you!?" Al gasped.

"No! No, I…I dunno, I guess I'm scared to. I'm afraid it will bring up…memories."

Alphonse reached across the table, laying his hand on Ed's. Edward jerked slightly, but didn't move away entirely. "I know you don't like me touching you," Al apologized. "But I have to tell you it's going to be okay."

Ed managed to offer up a smile. It killed him how his brother could be so sweet, but he could still be afraid of Alphonse. "I know."

Just then, a man in military uniform came up to their table. "Edward and Alphonse Elric?"

"Yes?" they said in unison.

"Colonel Roy Mustang has sent for you both. It's urgent."


	2. Chapter 2

From a distance, all Edward could see was the ring of military and police personnel. The people on the outside were barring the way into the building, preventing any pedestrians from entering—or even glimpsing what was happening inside.

He, Al, and their escorting officer had to shove their way past all the other military members standing at the door. Their faces gave some clue as to what they were about to encounter: sick, some with a light sheen of sweat as though they were about to pass out, all grim.

However, Ed was still shocked when he managed to enter the building that used to be a shop of some sort.

Blood was everywhere, and so were the bodies. It appeared that everyone in the store had been slaughtered, cut open and then left to bleed out. Edward usually felt he had a fairly strong stomach, but this much gore—and the accompanying smell of bodily fluids—left him gagging. Alphonse, at his right side, looked no better, his face taking on a shade of green.

They spotted Roy off to the side, standing near a body, his boots soaking up the blood on the floor. Gingerly, Ed walked over, wincing as his steps caused tiny splashing sounds.

"Colonel," Al said, signaling their presence.

Roy turned, his face carefully arranged into that calm, professional mask. "Ed, Al. Thank you for coming. I know you were busy, but…" he gestured, "…the situation is rather pressing."

"No problem," Ed murmured. "What _happened_?"

"That's the question, isn't it?"

Just then, Lieutenant Hawkeye appeared at Roy's side. "Sir, the count is complete. Twenty victims total, sir."

"That many!?" Alphonse gasped. Hawkeye nodded.

Roy brought a hand out from his pocket, beginning to rub his forefinger and thumb together in agitation. Smoke curled gently from the glove. "And are they all the same, Lieutenant?"

"Yes, sir."

"What do you mean, 'all the same'?" Ed asked.

Roy sighed, glancing at the nearest body, an elderly woman wearing what had once been a neat green dress. "Each victim died in the same manner; obviously, as you can tell, they were cut open. The odd part is that each person was only cut twice, and the cuts are very similar in length and in depth—which was often enough to cut down to the bone. They bled to death."

Edward looked around, scanning the bodies. He spotted a few police uniforms. "The police made it here?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, and as you can see, they didn't fare well."

"But surely," Alphonse interjected, "they would have taken down the assailant? He must be here somewhere!"

"That's why the military was called in, Alphonse," Roy explained. "Because they _didn't_. There were four police officers, all armed with guns. They should have been able to hit the attacker, but they didn't."

"And you know that how?" Ed questioned.

"Two things: one, it would take a rather large knife, or more likely a sword, to inflict the damage we see here, and we haven't found one. And two, we have a witness from the shop across the street who saw someone leave—carrying two twin swords."

Edward's eyes widened. "Where's the witness?"

Roy's answer was short. "Passed out. He came in here—he insisted, forced his way in actually—after making his statement, and fainted. We took him outside."

"But did he tell you what he saw?"

A nod. An old excitement in Edward rose, the adrenaline rush that came with hunting down a criminal. "He saw a dark man come out, holding two swords—wiped clean. The man made his way up the side of the building and ran away across the roof."

Alphonse jumped in, making the obvious assumption. "Dark skin would probably be an Ishbalan. Could it have been Scar? I know he doesn't usually use swords, but maybe he's diversifying?"

"No, Al, that doesn't make sense," Edward interjected. "Scar only goes after State Alchemists, and this was an attack on civilians."

"That's true, but there's something else. We thought it would have been an Ishbalan, too, until the witness clarified." Roy looked them both in the eye, stressing his next words. "The murderer wasn't just _dark_—he was black. 'Like night,' he said."

Ed couldn't hold back a gasp. "Like Greed, right Al?"

Alphonse nodded. "Yeah, Greed—he's a homunculus—could turn his body into a shield, and when he did it was black…I've never known him to use swords, though."

"Regardless," Roy said, motioning the rest of his team over from across the room, "that's the best lead we've had yet. We'll go around, ask if anyone has seen a black man…and, do you know what he looks like normally?" Alphonse nodded. "Then, Lieutenant Hawkeye and the rest of the team can go together towards the east, I'll go north, Al, you can go south, and I'll get Major Armstrong to go west. I don't want anyone undefended in case this guy shows up again, so be careful."

Edward was about to protest—he should be assigned to go as well—when he remembered that he couldn't _use_ alchemy anymore, so there was no way Roy would assign him to go out looking for Greed alone. Besides, he was still fairly week from his three month stint in the whorehouse; he wouldn't be much use even in a team.

Ed bit his lip as a feeling of utter uselessness washed over him. He clenched his fists, trying to control himself. He hadn't realized how thoroughly he had been alienated from his old life.

He tapped Alphonse on the shoulder, mouthing the words, "I'm going for a run," not trusting himself to speak.

And Edward jogged out the door, ignoring the worried look Roy sent his way.

* * *

Ed sat curled up on the couch in Roy's house (where he had been staying since his brother's mind was restored). His run hadn't really helped assuage his worries, but it had been part of his exercise regime. Hopefully after he built up his muscles again, he would at least be of _some_ use.

The door clicked open, and Edward resisted the urge to go upstairs. He didn't really want to admit to Roy what was bothering him, and that would only give him away, as he always waited on the couch for Roy to return home.

"Ed?" said man called out.

"Here," Edward answered, his voice managing to remain steady.

"Ed, what's up?" Roy rounded the corner, sitting on the couch next to Ed, and wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Nothing?" Edward tried. Honestly, he didn't have much hope that Roy would buy it.

And he was right. The dark haired man raised his eyebrows. "C'mon. It wasn't the thing with the restaurant, was it?" Ed shook his head. "I didn't think so. You're not that queasy. It wasn't the lunch with Al…?"

"No," Edward sighed. He didn't want this to be pinned on Alphonse. Which meant he had to fess up. "It's just…I'm useless. I didn't really realize until today—I can't even help you catch the bastard that killed all those people. I lost my alchemy, and I'm kind of a weakling now…"

"Edward Elric."

Ed raised his head, looking Roy in the eye. The man _never_ addressed him by his full name. "You are _not_ a weakling. Not many other people could have gone through what you did, and not many other people would have given up something so precious to you as your ability to perform alchemy to help your brother. You're one of the strongest people I know, and just because you can't do _this specifically_ doesn't mean you're useless. Got it?"

Edward nodded hesitantly, allowing himself to be pulled into a strong, reassuring hug.

But no matter what Roy said, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just a liability at this point.


	3. Chapter 3

"Ed! Ed, wake up, I need you to come with me."

Edward opened his eyes groggily, and immediately knew what it was. It was in the hard lines of Roy's face, the glint of sadness and emptiness you could see in his eyes if you looked close enough. "It's another attack, isn't it?" he asked, knowing the answer. Only something like that would cause such a look.

Roy nodded.

Ed immediately sat up, stretched, and went to grab some actual clothes. "What time is it?"

Roy was already at the door—he always left while Edward changed to make him more comfortable. "Around three in the morning."

Edward shook his head, pulling off the tank he had slept in. Not even a full day had passed since the first attack. If this was a homunculus…Ed didn't want to finish the thought. Homunculi were hard to stop; how much carnage could this one cause in the time it would take to bring down?

He pulled on his boots, and walked out into the living room. Roy opened the door. "I've already called Alphonse, he's on his way as well."

Ed remembered something. "Hey, isn't he supposed to get his State Alchemist title soon?" Al had taken the test shortly after he was brought to his senses.

"Yes," Roy mused. "Don't you wonder what it will be?"

Edward grinned despite the fact that they were on a rather melancholy mission. Some titles, like Roy's, were fairly obvious, but others, like his own had been, were a little more obscure. He _was_ curious, terribly curious, to see what Al's would be.

* * *

Any leftover lightheartedness evaporated as soon as they arrived at the crime scene. This one was not so neatly contained, being out in the open. Lieutenant Hawkeye walked up as soon as Roy and Ed arrived.

"Sir, we've got a preliminary count, but they keep finding more in the alleyways. So far, we're at thirty three—" another officer walked up, whispered in her ear "—thirty six victims."

"Hmm. More because the area had more people, or more because of bloodlust…?"

"I'd say bloodlust," Edward speculated.

Roy turned to him. "Why?"

"Well, look around." Roy did as he was asked, and Ed followed his gaze. Blood was, again, everywhere, but not flooding a single area. Officers were ranged across the square and at the entrance to every alleyway and side street, each finding more victims. "Everyone was spread out. Now, that's natural, but once one person went down, these people would have run. This guy would have had to chase some of them, and that indicates bloodlust, not convenience."

"Edward's right, Colonel," Alphonse said, joining the group.

"And are all the wounds the same as before?" Roy asked.

Hawkeye nodded. "Although, you might wasn't to see one body in particular…"

They followed the Lieutenant down into an alley, following the meandering path until it dead ended. There lay a body, recognizable despite the two cuts.

"Scar," Roy stated. "That settles it, then. It must be a homunculus."

"What makes you say that?" Edward asked. Sure, he thought so too, but if there was any hope a homunculus _wasn't _involved, he was going to cling to it.

"Who else could have beaten Scar?" Roy countered. "You've taken him on—with Al's help, I might add—so have I and so has Major Armstrong. He's a serious threat, considering he can kill you if he can get his hands on you. The only reason we've so far avoided being killed was because we put him in a situation where he had to run. If this is a homunculus, Scar would be at a disadvantage, seeing as homunculi can regenerate."

"Shit," Ed muttered. He had no argument.

Roy turned back to Lieutenant Hawkeye. "Have someone alert the Fuhrer. At this point, we have a nigh-unstoppable serial killer on the loose, and he needs to know."

She nodded, and walked off.

* * *

A half hour later, a messenger came back, his face pale.

"Colonel, sir! There was a…slight problem in relaying your message to the Fuhrer."

Roy sighed. "And what would that be?"

The officer swallowed hard. "The Fuhrer's gone missing, sir."

Roy and Ed both stared blankly at the man. Alphonse voiced what they were all thinking: "How is that possible!? Bradley was more than capable of defending himself, plus he had all those guards…"

"There's more, sir," the messenger added, wringing his hands. "You are aware that Mrs. Bradley was said to have been in Xing for the past several months?"

Roy nodded. "Yes, she's been looking into their healing systems."

A deep breath. "Well, she never made it there. The searchers had the dogs out, sniffing for the Fuhrer's trail, and they started going crazy over this one patch of ground. They dug it up, and…they found Mrs. Bradley's body. She's been dead since the same general time she supposedly left for Xing."

Roy cursed. "But the Fuhrer must have noticed that he wasn't getting any letters, that something had gone wrong!"

"In addition, Colonel, sir, Selim Bradley is also missing. No one has seen him since the same time."

Al's eyes widened. "Bradley must have been in on it."

Roy nodded slowly. "Yes, you're right. I don't know why, but there's no other option, if he didn't start a search for his son. Which means he might have had something to do with Mrs. Bradley and Selim…he could have disappeared on purpose…" he looked at the officer. "Not a word of this to anyone else."

"Sir!" The man saluted.

"Dismissed."

As soon as the officer walked off, Ed began to speak. "Roy?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't you think the timing is a little…off?"

Roy nodded. "You mean it's strange that Bradley would go missing just as a homunculus begins to attack Central?"

"Yes," Ed said, "but there's more. Remember, I was gone when Mrs. Bradley supposedly left for Xing. But when _exactly_ did she leave?"

Roy's face drained of color, a mark of how serious the situation was. "Just about the same time you disappeared…"

"And that means Selim might have gone missing around the same time as well. A homunculus took over Al, and now another homunculus is running around Central killing people. It's just too much to be a coincidence. There's no doubt about it…"

Alphonse finished the thought for him. "The Bradley's are somehow connected to the homunculi."


	4. Chapter 4

Edward jumped up from the couch as soon as Roy entered the house. "Roy, I just thought of something." He couldn't help the thought that followed up: that thinking was just about the only thing he could do now.

"And what's that?" Roy asked, walking towards the kitchen.

"We were thinking that the homunculus would have defeated Scar simply because they can regenerate—but where we found his body, there wasn't any blood besides his own."

Roy popped open a bottle of liquor and poured himself a glass. Not unusual. He often had a drink when things with the military got particularly stressful. "I don't follow you."

"If the homunculus had been attacked by Scar, they should have literally exploded inside. And while that wouldn't kill a homunculus, it should have left some blood on the ground. What I'm saying," Ed concluded, "is that there was no sign of the struggle."

"So you think the homunculus got Scar and wasn't even hurt himself?" Roy sighed. "It makes sense, but you realize that just means this homunculus is better than we thought. He must be fast to avoid Scar entirely…" he sat down on the couch, placing the bottle on a side table.

"I know," Edward agreed. "It's not good, but…it's important that we know."

"No, no, you're right." Roy drained his glass, poured himself another. "It's just that it's all so much. The Bradley family, this homunculus, knowing there's a connection there, knowing how close to indestructible, maybe even undefeatable, the homunculus is..."

"Yeah," Ed murmured. Once again, he felt the ache to do something, anything, to _help_. But what could he do? He looked out of the corner of his eye, saw that Roy was busing pouring himself a third glass. Edward frowned slightly; the man didn't usually drink _that_ much. Still, he was glad for the distraction. Ed clapped his hands together softly, and placed them on the side of the couch, hoping for a miracle.

He wasn't _really_ surprised that he didn't get one.

Edward heard the clink of a glass, and looked over. Roy was now drinking straight from the bottle. Ed sighed internally, thinking that the man was _not_ going to be happy when he had a hangover in the morning.

"Ed, c'mere."

Edward obeyed, scooting closer to Roy and leaning into his side. He had gotten _much_ more comfortable with this simple contact, hugs and snuggling and the like. It made him feel warm inside, and, even better, made him feel like he was conquering his fears and memories.

Roy put the bottle down. Ed didn't have time to be relieved before lips were crashing into his own.

_Okay, okay_. Edward was surprised, but…he could handle this. They hadn't kissed before, not really…but Ed was alright, perfectly fine actually, and found he even had the courage to kiss Roy back.

Joy swelled inside of him. This was something normal, something couples were suppose to do, and Edward could manage it on the first go despite his previous experiences…

Roy's hands pushed their way inside his shirt. Did kissing usually go this far? Ed had to admit his knowledge was painfully skewed, and he had to force down the panic inside him that was threatening to make its way to the surface. This was Roy, he wouldn't hurt Edward. He could do this.

But the hands were migrating down, and so were the lips, Roy's mouth at Ed's neck and his hands so close, _too close_—

"Roy!" Edward couldn't suppress the sound he made, the sound of a trapped animal. It was disgusting, and he knew there was no danger, but this had to stop now. He tried to calm down, tried to breathe normally as Roy looked up and—thank goodness—stopped his hands where they were, resting on Ed's hips.

"I-I'm sorry," Edward whispered, looking into Roy's questioning eyes. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't be scared, but…I just can't imagine being touched _that_ way. Not right now. It's never been pleasant for me, and I'm just…plain…terrified."

Roy actually shook his head, and pulled himself up and away from Ed. "No, no, you don't need to be sorry. I should know better." He picked up the bottle of liquor, mostly empty, and tossed it into the wastebasket. "I shouldn't drink that much, it messes with my mind. I don't mean to push you, Ed, and I sure as hell don't want you to be scared of me."

Roy bent down, kissed Edward gently on the head, and stood. "I think I should go to bed."

And so Ed sat there, watching blankly as Roy walked away and closed the door to his room.

His first thought was hatred, not directed at Roy, but at himself. Why couldn't he just be a little stronger? Why couldn't he just get over what had happened? It was practically ages ago, and Roy had _saved_ him. Any other teenage boy would be itching to fuck their boyfriend, but he was just so _weak_…

Edward curled up, burying his face in his knees, angrily wiping away tears. He _would not cry_.

Fuck, he was so _useless_. Why did Roy even keep him around? He couldn't use alchemy, wasn't even really fit anymore, he couldn't do anything to help Central when there was a rampaging homunculus around slaughtering innocent people…and now he couldn't even satisfy the man he loved.

Ed beat his head gently against his knees, unable to stop thinking of this latest failure, when a horrible thought came to him. Roy had _always_ been known as a womanizer. What if he left Edward for a girl? Hell, even a guy who would, could put out? After all, Roy was still a young guy, he had to have his cravings…could Ed really expect him to just deal with it himself every time?

There were plenty of attractive women in the military, too…

Edward fought back hyperventilation. What _was_ keeping Roy with him? Sympathy? Ed could think of no other reason. He was nothing but a dead weight.

Unable to stop himself, Edward cried, putting all his effort into staying silent. Eventually, his tears dried up, but he did not sleep, did not move from his position, curled up on the couch, until rays of sunlight began peeking through the windows.

At that point, he had to get up, because _Roy_ would be waking up soon. How could he face the man now?

Ed walked over to a mirror, wincing at the stiffness in his legs. He looked awful, hair disheveled and eyes a puffy mess.

He pulled on some shoes, and left a note on the counter: "Gone for a run, see you when you get home."

And Edward walked out the door, wondering if there was someplace he could go that would make him feel just a little less shitty.

He couldn't think of anywhere.


	5. Chapter 5

"Another attack. That makes three in total, and in this latest one, fifty three people were killed," Roy mused to himself. "Well, I suppose desperate times call for desperate measures."

A knock sounded on his door. Roy had to force himself to call, "Come in." He _so_ did not want to do this.

The door was opened, and he was presented with the sight of Kimbly, fucking _Kimbly_, fresh from prison.

Roy hated the man. Kimbly had gotten way too much joy from the Ishbalan extermination, and was a genuine psychopath. And because of that, he was—or at least, had been—a prisoner, and that made him expendable; a valuable tool for the job at hand.

Roy stood. "Kimbly."

The man in front of him smiled, that wolfish smile that always gave Roy chills. "Flame Alchemist, it's been a long while."

Roy only grunted, glad when Major Armstrong and Alphonse walked in the door as well. That was everyone, then.

He closed the door. "Alright, here's the plan. Al, Major, you know about the suspected homunculus that's been killing people in Central…Kimbly, you've been filled in on the situation?"

The man nodded.

"Good. We're all up to speed then. Now, we are going on the assumption that this _is_ a homunculus. If that's the case, he's working for a…man known only as Father. We don't know _what_ this 'Father' wants with State Alchemists, but he seems to have been trying to avoid killing us. Other homunculi have addressed State Alchemists as 'sacrifices,' so needless to say they are a threat, but not an immediate one. Not to us, anyway. So, we are going out to try to lure this particular homunculus to us. Honestly, I have no idea if this will work, but any strategy must be considered at this point."

Roy looked around, saw everyone nodding. Kimbly was even smiling, the creepy bastard. "Homunculi don't die easy, so if he does come at us, don't let your guard down. In any other situation, I would say try to keep him alive so we can question him, but homunculi are just too dangerous. If we are engaged, we aim to kill. Got it?"

Again, Al and the Major nodded, but Kimbly spoke. "Are we being issued Philosopher's Stones? Seems like they would be useful in this situation."

Roy frowned. "No."

Kimbly's smile widened, and he held his hands up defensively. "I don't get an explanation?"

"No," Roy said again, voice hard and expression harder. Kimbly surrendered with a silent shrug.

"Okay, everyone? Then let's go."

* * *

"Why here?"

Kimbly _again_. The ass had been questioning Roy nonstop since they left Headquarters. He spun, breaking his own rule to keep their backs together, and hissed in the man's ear, "'Because I said so' should be good enough, but since you're too much of a dick to get that I'm in charge here, I'll explain. This is just a few streets away from a known entrance to the homunculi's hideout, so we're more likely to encounter him here."

"Why are we going to attack them in their hideout then?" Kimbly asked, smirk evident in his voice.

Oh, how Roy was _itching_ to snap. Just a slip of his fingers and Kimbly would know to _shut up_. "Because this is not a suicide mission," he growled, turning back around just in time to see a black blur jump between two rooftops.

"I think we're about to have contact," he breathed, and then the homunculus was upon them.

He really was _black_, from head to toe, with only a few red lines on his face breaking the uniformity. The homunculus was fast too, slicing Roy's arm just as he raised his fingers to snap, and then moving away fast enough to avoid being burnt. A cry from Roy's right told him Armstrong had been hit, though he couldn't say how badly.

As he clutched his arm, a thought struck Roy. They weren't being slain; he had been cut fairly badly with the swords—again, the witness was right, the homunculus carried double blades—but he hadn't been sliced open with the typical parallel strokes. This homunculus really _was_ trying to spare them their lives, at least for now.

A higher pitched cry rang out as Alphonse fell. Roy turned, trying to keep their small circle—a triangle, now—intact, looking for the homunculus.

Suddenly, there was a choking sound behind him. Roy spun, to see the homunculus, arms securely wrapped around Kimbly's throat. He raised his hand to snap, even as the homunculus jumped away, taking Kimbly with him. In that instant, Roy got a good look at the swords.

Bradley's swords.

As quick as it had come, the homunculus was gone, leaving Roy dumbfounded behind.

* * *

Edward was nervous, so nervous for Roy to come home. With all the worries swirling in his mind, he felt like he was about to fall apart, but he couldn't let Roy see that.

All that evaporated when Roy walked in the door with a bandage on his arm.

"What happened!?"

"We got attacked by the homunculus."

Ed stared openmouthed, trying to remember how to breathe. As little as he was convinced Roy loved him, he _definitely_ loved Roy, and to think of the man taking on the being that had killed so many, had even been able to take down _Scar_, seemingly without trouble…

"Hey, calm down," Roy said, running his fingers through Edward's hair. "It's alright. We were trying to lure him out, me, Al, Armstrong…and that fucker Kimbly, from prison. The homunculus took Kimbly, but everyone else is okay."

Edward thought he was going to explode. Roy had been "luring the homunculus out," and he didn't even _know_? Al hadn't told him, either. If anything was a mark of how pointless he had become, this was it.

He must have done a good job a hiding his emotions, because Roy didn't notice. "Ed, this homunculus was all black, with little red stripes on his head, sharp teeth, and…he had Bradley's swords."

Ed gasped. "It sounds like Greed, but…are you sure they were Bradley's?"

Roy nodded.

A terrible thought occurred to Edward. "You don't think Father created another new homunculus? What if he managed to merge Greed with the Fuhrer?"

Roy grimaced. "I hate to say it, but…that sounds possible. I'd prefer to think that the homunculus simply _took_ the swords, but anything could be the truth at this point."

Edward found himself reeling inside, and sat down slowly on the arm of the couch. This situation with the homunculus just kept getting more and more strange…and more dangerous. Roy hadn't even _told_ him he was going to try to fight the homunculus…what if the next time, he didn't come back? Ed struggled to maintain his breathing.

It felt like everything was slipping out of his grasp, his life spiraling out of his control. And Edward had no idea how to get that control back.


	6. Chapter 6

Edward took a deep breath. He'd been standing outside Roy's room for several long minutes, trying to work up the courage to walk inside. At least the shaking in his hands had ceased, for the most part. He didn't seem able to stop the trembling in his knees, though.

Flashbacks kept popping up into Ed's head. That horrible place, those dreadful men…and the pain, blood red in his mind. He bit back a whimper; he would do this, he _had_ to.

Edward walked in the door, tiptoeing. Roy glanced up from his bed, where he had been reading. Ed gulped, taking in the sight: bare chest, strong arms, a blanket covering Roy's bottom half…

"What is it, Ed?" The concern in his voice was good. After all, the other men hadn't been concerned. That was a sign this time would be different, right? Please let that be the case.

For the first time in his life, Edward wished he believed in a god, so he would have someone to ask for help in this situation.

"Ed?" Roy asked again. Edward didn't respond, instead making his way gingerly across the floor and climbing into Roy's bed.

The man raised his eyebrows as the springs squeaked. "Nightmare?"

"Hush," Ed muttered. Roy's talking was distracting him; he needed to concentrate, focus on not shaking, not crying out, not running away…

Edward gritted his teeth, and sat on Roy's lap, bringing his own nervous lips down to meet those in front of him.

The kiss was fine. This, Ed could still handle. He was okay, though his hands were a little twitchy. Roy still seemed confused, but he was responding. Of course he was.

Edward let his hands fall to Roy's chest. It was so, so impossible to keep his mouth moving, make his hands do the same, and still not panic. He felt a hand tangle in his hair, unbraided. A tongue played with his own—

—Ed grabbed the bottom of his shirt, lifted it off, and broke the kiss. Just in time, too; he had to swallow bake bile. It wasn't _Roy_, but the memory of tongues down his throat, larger body parts following.

"Ed," Roy breathed. Edward glanced at his face, but the man didn't seem as pleasured as he would have hoped. More…worried.

Well, he _couldn't_ let Roy talk him out of this. Ed swooped down again, this time planting his lips on Roy's throat. He'd never done this before, nor had it been done to him—_those_ men never were looking to please him. Edward found the new experience oddly comforting, with no memories to taint it. The ever-growing trembles slowed, until he continued to move down.

Ed pushed the blanket out of the way, saw that Roy was wearing boxers. That was good—it gave him a few more seconds to prepare.

"Edward—"

He had to shut Roy up, he had to do this, he couldn't lose him! Edward grabbed Roy through the boxers. Good, he was getting hard. Edward could do this. A surprised moan fell from the man's lips, rather than whatever cautionary words he had been about to speak.

Okay. Ed knew what he had to do next. The boxers had to go…and Edward had to suck it up. Literally.

But he couldn't seem to do it. His hands were shaking so bad he couldn't even grab the band of the boxers, and somehow his calm, even breathing had slipped into ragged gasps when he wasn't paying enough attention. Hopefully Roy wouldn't see the fear behind the sounds.

There! He had the band, pulled down…

A firm grip took hold of his wrists, pulling his hands away from Roy's nether regions as though Edward was a naughty child.

Ed looked up at Roy, and caught a glance of his reflection in a nearby mirror. He was red—was it stress, or had he forgotten to breathe? And his eyes…Edward shut them, he didn't want to see that pathetic look.

"Edward Elric." Had Roy ever sounded so stern and yet so _not_ angry? "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Seducing my boyfriend," he muttered. With a valiant effort, he pulled himself up just enough so that he could grind down onto Roy. He was rewarded with a shaky exhale and then a stream of curses.

"Stop!" Roy demanded.

Oh, that was the word Edward had been avoiding. As long as Roy didn't tell him to stop, he could force himself to keep going. But how could he continue when the man was echoing the wish Ed had so frequently made when _he_ was underneath someone?

Edward stopped moving, and hung his head. Another failure, then. Why was he even surprised anymore?

This time, Roy's voice was gentle, as he moved Ed down to his chest, not in a sensual way, but just to hold him. "Ed, what are you doing?" he asked again.

"I told you," Edward mumbled, hating how weak he sounded, hating that he made Roy worry instead of making him feel good, hating…well, everything about himself just then.

"Yes, but _why_?"

"Because you _want_ it," he whispered. "I know you do."

Roy paused. "Is this about the other night?" Ed was silent. It was, but it wasn't. The other night had simply shown him how useless he was in every way, but it wasn't the sole issue. "Ed, I'm sorry. I told you, the alcohol was influencing me. I never would have pushed you like that if I was in my right mind."

"But you had every right to, didn't you? You've done so much for me, and I can't even get you off in return. That's what boyfriends are supposed to do, but I'm too much of a wimp to give you what you deserve!" There were the tears. Edward sat up, angrily wiping at his face.

"Edward," Roy reached out to him, but Ed jumped up, pacing up and down the room, puling at his hair. "Edward, what's going on?"

"I'm nothing!" Edward cried, stuck at his reflection again. He spoke to himself just as much as he did to Roy, now standing still in front of the mirror. "I'm a failure as an alchemist—I'm not even an alchemist anymore! But I had to go and be captured, and get all weak, too. I can't help anyone…it wouldn't be so bad if I could at least be good for you, but I can't do _anything_. I get scared just _kissing_ you! You need more, and there's all those girls out there, and why would you want me _anyway_, you've _never_ been into guys, and it's all my fault if you leave, I couldn't blame you, but I don't _want_ to lose you—" Ed's voice cut off. It had been rising hysterically, and finally he just choked.

Suddenly, Roy was behind him. "Oh, Ed," he whispered, stroking Edward's hair slowly. "How could you think that? It's not your fault, what happened."

"If I hadn't been so—"

"No," Roy insisted. "How were you to know a homunculus was controlling your brother? It wasn't your fault. I don't blame you for not wanting to touch me, or have me touch you. After what you've been through, it's understandable, and I'm not disappointed in you because of that. As for the girls—what girl could offer me what you do? I _love_ you, Ed, and no girl can compare to that."

Edward started to cry again, sagging in Roy's arms. He was so _tired_. Could he really just accept what Roy was saying? That would be easy, wouldn't it? But could it also be right?

"I'd never leave you," Roy murmured. "Ever."

"But what about sex?" Edward whispered, hiccupping.

"It can wait. I know you'll heal eventually—after all, when I first got you out of there, you didn't even want me to carry you. Now I can hold you all I like…baby steps, Ed. We'll get there, and when you're ready, I'll show you what it's _supposed_ to be like."

It felt like a weight had been lifted off Edward's shoulders. He would be fine, right? He would be fine.

Ed turned around, away from his haggard reflection. "I…I think I can at least take this step," he murmured, rising onto his toes to kiss Roy. It was short, he stopped before any tongues could be involved, but when he pulled away, Roy smiled.

"And that's more than enough for me."


	7. Chapter 7

Alphonse sprinted down the street, wheezing. His body really wasn't cut out for this, but he couldn't stop, he had to run!

Al fought back the urge to check behind him. There were no sounds of pursuit, but he just _knew_ that the homunculus was still chasing him. He couldn't stop, couldn't slow down to look…doing so may be fatal.

He pumped his tired limbs faster, but couldn't maintain the speed for long.

Why was this happening? Sure, Kimbly had been taken, but no one had guessed that the homunculus's mission was actually to capture the State Alchemists, or something of that nature. No one had guessed this homunculus would show up in Al's dorm.

There! Alphonse spotted Roy's house just down the street. He hated to bring the homunculus here, to put his brother and the Colonel in danger, but he couldn't see any other option. There was no way he could defeat someone so powerful on his own.

Please, _please_ let the door be unlocked…

Al slammed into the door, crumpling to the ground. He stood shakily, not knowing how many seconds he had before his pursuer caught up, or if he already had. He thought an apology, before smashing in a window and climbing into the house.

Roy and Ed both ran out from the back, the former hastily pulling on a pair of pants, and both of them shirtless. Even in his desperation, Alphonse allowed himself a moment to wonder just what he had managed to interrupt.

* * *

"Al?" Edward asked, eyes widening at the sight of his little brother gasping for air on the floor. "What…"

Alphonse panted, but couldn't seem to speak. He waved out the window, just as another presence jumped into the room.

A chill ran down Ed's back; it was the new homunculus, the one that had been terrorizing Central…

Ever the leader, it was Roy who had the quickest reaction. "Run!" he shouted, hauling Alphonse to his feet and handing him to Ed. He headed towards the back door, the brothers and the homunculus right behind. Edward was half-carrying Al, struggling to be strong enough to move both of them.

Roy opened a drawer, procured an extra pair of gloves, and snapped. Ed ducked just in time, avoiding the flames. The homunculus behind them didn't make a sound, though it did slow. That would have to be enough.

The trio made it out the back door. "Roy," Edward called. "Help me with Al!"

Roy grabbed hold of Alphonse, and the three ran down the street, lopsided and awkward. Edward glanced as the turned a corner, and saw the homunculus following them, arms and chest still dotted with flame. Behind him, the house began to burn.

Why did that always happen to Ed's homes?

Edward shook his head. This wasn't the time for sad humor, or irony, or whatever it was, they had to move! He didn't know _why_ the homunculus was after them specifically…suddenly he thought of just how many people were around them, maybe looking out their windows and seeing the threat run by. Who knew how long they would maintain the homunculus's interest? "Roy, we have to get away from here! There's too many people!"

The man nodded, and sped up. Ed was, in that moment, exceedingly glad that he had taken to running.

Alphonse seemed to be recovering slightly, moving with less assistance now, though his breathing was still labored. He removed his arm from Edward's shoulders, and gasped, "He—showed up at—my room—military dorms. Don't know—what he—wants."

That was the question, wasn't it? Edward considered this as he hurtled around another bend in the road. This homunculus had killed mass amounts of people, but suddenly seemed exclusively interested in State Alchemists, ignoring all the other potential victims around him. After all, he had captured Kimbly, and now he was after Al…perhaps even Roy. Ed's heart lurched unpleasantly.

Think! It hit him: this homunculus had to be working for Father, they all seemed to be. And Father had been tracking State Alchemists as what? Human sacrifices.

What if this homunculus was here to collect those who were fated to be killed?

Roy stopped suddenly, turned around. He had led them to a deserted street, and now was facing the approaching homunculus.

Ed and Al turned as well. Trying to think of anything he could do, Edward examined the being headed for them. He looked…_exactly_ like Greed had, really. But there were those swords. And he was moving so fast, faster than normal…

The homunculus was upon them. He swung his sword, nicking Al's arm, but Ed didn't have time to worry about that. If this one was anything like Greed, he should be able to…

"Al!" he shouted. "His body's carbon! Transmute it!"

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, the homunculus turned towards him. The being came closer, close enough for Edward to see the mark of Ouroboros in its eye…

Just as the homunculus slashed, Alphonse clapped his hands to the black body. Edward twisted, catching the edge of the moving sword on his automail leg, and kicking the homunculus in the now-weakened area.

It wasn't much, but it was all he could do, and it had at least a small effect. The carbon covering the homunculus's body cracked, shedding off in places. And—Edward's eyes widened as he saw this—the damaged area did not seem to be regenerating…

"He's not regenerating!" he yelled. "Once you transmute the carbon—" again the homunculus lunged for him, this time stabbing Edward in the arm. He cried out in pain, but being in the thick of things—even without his alchemy—was giving Ed a new strength. He reached up with his automail hand, grasping the sword, and pulled it from the homunculus's grasp, in the process plunging the blade further into his arm. He felt it push fully through, and gritted his teeth. This pain was worth it if the homunculus only had one sword.

He heard a sound, and looked up to see Alphonse take a running leap, knocking the homunculus over. Quicker than Edward would have thought possible, his brother clapped, placing his hands on the homunculus's head.

He tried to get away, but the homunculus was faster, managing to take a chunk out of his heel and causing Al to crash to the ground. Edward took a step forward to do something, but that proved unnecessary, as a burst of fire engulfed the being's head.

This time, the homunculus screamed, a horrible sound. Edward could just make out an odd echoing, and with a shiver recalled the voice of the last homunculus he had encountered, the one who had taken over his brother.

Still this homunculus was not regenerating. He had fallen to the ground, and was swiping blindly with his sword, but the efforts were growing weaker.

And then they stopped, the scream choked off, and the homunculus began to disintegrate.

Again, one the dust had gone, there were two Philosopher's Stones. Something about that nagged at Edward, but now that the danger was gone, he couldn't help but focus on the pain in his arm—

"Well done," a voice murmured from the shadows, "but I've got something better in store for you now."


	8. Chapter 8--End

"That one wasn't as effective as I had hoped," Father continued. Edward turned around slowly until he could see him as he spoke. "He only managed to catch Kimbly, and he wasn't my first choice. Hopefully this last one will be better…" he trailed off, and another figure stepped out of the shadows to join Father.

The woman—a homunculus—was large, curvy in the extreme, but still attractive in a round sort of way. However her expression was blank, he mouth slack in a smile of sorts. It almost looked like—

"Gluttony?" Alphonse asked.

Father nodded. "And Lust, yes." He turned to Roy, watching as the man walked over and put his hand on Edward's shoulder, before addressing all three of them once more. "You're all quite clever. You knew I was combining homunculi, or at least creating new ones, almost right away."

Ed could not suppress a shiver once he realized what Father meant. "So the homunculus that was controlling Al…"

"He was my first, Pride and Envy." Father said, sounding almost regretful. "He completed his task well."

Edward had known, more or less, that Father had instructed that homunculus to go after him…but hearing what was tantamount to a confession, to have the reason for the torture he went through stand in front of him…Ed fought the urge to vomit.

"Why would you do that?" Alphonse whispered, head down. "I thought you needed Brother as a sacrifice…now that he can't use his alchemy, can you even use him?"

"He was too much of a liability," Father admitted, his voice betraying bitterness. "If I hadn't had that homunculus suggest to him in a dream that he get rid of his alchemy, Edward here would have posed too much of a threat."

"Hang on, you mentioned that half of that homunculus was Pride…who was he?" Roy asked. "We knew of Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and Greed, but…"

Father actually chuckled, and Edward felt Roy tense behind him, his fingers clenching on Ed's shoulders. "Oh, you knew Pride—to you, he was Selim Bradley."

Edward's eyes widened, and Alphonse gasped audibly. Roy settled for a muttered curse. "H-he was a homunculus?" Al murmured, almost to himself. Then, louder: "What about-?"

"His father?" Father interrupted. "Fuhrer King Bradley? He was Wrath, half of the homunculus you all just killed. The wife was normal, though."

The three were silent, unable to comprehend what they had just been told. Obviously, the homunculi were a problem, but to have infiltrated Central, the government of all of Amestris, to such a degree was unbelivable.

"Why?" Edward's voice was weak, so he tried again. "Why would you do this? What's the point?"

"If I told you," Father said dispassionately, "I would only be putting myself at a disadvantage."

"Then why tell us about you combining homunculi?" Alphonse asked.

Father's mouth twitched as though in a smile, an odd gesture on the normally static face. "Because you already knew, and besides, I didn't come here just for the show. I need something from you, and you all have to know what's in store for you if you don't comply." He gestured to the homunculus at his side. "Just as you thought, this homunculus is the result of combining Lust and Gluttony. And just like the others, she possesses extraordinary power."

Edward heard Roy snapping behind him, a sign of his nervousness and agitation.

Father went on. "Just like Lust, she can extend her nails. However, rather than cut you, her nails now _consume_ you. You would be trapped in her stomach."

Alphonse shuddered beside Edward.

"Now," Father said, a satisfied light in his eyes. "On to what I require from you."

They held their breath as Father lifted a hand, and pointed directly at Roy.

Ed found he couldn't speak, his throat suddenly choked. He wanted _Roy_? No! Despite his efforts, Edward found himself trembling, falling to his knees as his legs buckled.

"The Flame Alchemist. Colonel Roy Mustang. You will be a valuable sacrifice."

No, no, no. This wasn't happening!

Of course, Roy wasn't one to give in. "You don't expect me to just volunteer, do you?"

"Actually, yes. See, you have two options. I alone know how to remove someone from her stomach. Armed with that, consider your choices carefully. First, I take Edward here. If you choose that option, you will not be told how to release him until you surrender yourself, of course, and I'll give you a hint: if you kill my homunculus, Edward will die as well, so don't think that will save him."

Ed looked up to see Roy's reaction. The man's face was dark, featured contorted in a grimace. He squatted, once again placing his hand—hands, this time—on Edward's shoulders possessively.

Father went on. "I thought not. Option two, then: you surrender yourself, and I leave Edward alone."

"Why would I trust you?" Roy spat.

"Because," Father's tone was that of an adult speaking to a small child. "What do I have to gain from harming him? I want you; the ex-Fullmetal Alchemist is of no use to me anymore, nor does he pose a threat. You've been around him—he's been wrecked. He's not a concern to me."

Roy practically growled, his hands becoming painfully tight.

"Choose quickly, Flame Alchemist," Father murmured. "She's getting hungry…"

The homunculus, hearing the word "hungry", seemed to come out of a daze and shifted, lifting a hand and smiling eagerly.

Roy stood again, and stepped around Edward.

Ed gasped, realizing what he was going to do. "No! Roy, no! I'll go, I'll be fine, you need to be here—" he lunged for Roy's leg, grabbing hold and clinging to the limb.

"Alphonse, I have to do this." Roy refused to address Edward, but he could hear the strain in the older man's voice. "Hold him."

Edward felt hesitant arms wrap around his torso. They tightened with resolve just as Roy yanked his foot from Ed's grasp.

"No!" he shrieked, trying to toss Al off. "No, Roy, please!"

"Excellent. Go ahead," Father said.

The homunculus shot her nails out, tapping Roy's head, stomach, chest, and arms. Edward screamed wordlessly as the man was consumed, seeming to be sucked into the nails.

That quickly, it was over. Alphonse released Ed, who lay gasping and sobbing on the ground. "No, Roy, no…" Suddenly, a wave of anger swept over him. He shot up, ignoring the throbbing in his arm from the sword. "Give him back, bastard!"

But Father was gone.

Edward looked around, ran down the street as fast as he could manage, but Father and his damned homunculus were nowhere to be seen. He let himself fall against a tree, sliding down to the ground. Footsteps alerted him to Al's presence, but Ed didn't care.

All he could think was that his freedom had just been traded for Roy's demise.

* * *

**Up next in this series is Counterfeited, go check it out!**


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